TerrorismMost home-grown terrorists in U.K. come from London, Birmingham

Published 22 March 2017

A new study takes a detailed, in-depth look at Islamism-inspired terrorism convictions and suicide attacks in the United Kingdom between 1998 and 2015, focusing on the offenders’ backgrounds and their activities as well as offense-specified data. The study finds that the threat to the United Kingdom remains from “home-grown” terrorism, and is heavily youth- and male-oriented, with British nationals prevalent among offenders. Although small, women’s involvement nearly trebled in recent years and is typically supportive of men involved in terrorist activity with whom they have a family or personal relationship. Analysis of offenders’ residence shows the primacy of London- and Birmingham-based individuals as well as higher than average relative deprivation and Muslim population at neighborhood level.

A new study from the London-based Henry Jackson Society (HJS) — Islamist Terrorism: Analysis of Offenses and Attacks in the I.K.(1998-2015) – takes a detailed, in-depth look at Islamism-inspired terrorism convictions and suicide attacks in the United Kingdom between 1998 and 2015, focusing on the offenders’ backgrounds and their activities as well as offense-specified data.

The author of the report, Hannah Stuart, says that there is a general consensus within academia and among practitioners that terrorists cannot be profiled since there are multiple pathways into terrorism and violent extremism. Both policy and policing should be evidenced-based, however, and “we should look to understand the socio- demographic characteristics of those involved in Islamism-inspired terrorism as well as the behaviors these individuals engaged in prior to offending,” she says.

HJS says that the threat to the United Kingdom remains from “home-grown” terrorism, and is heavily youth- and male-oriented, with British nationals prevalent among offenders. Although small, women’s involvement nearly trebled in recent years and is typically supportive of men involved in terrorist activity with whom they have a family or personal relationship. Gender and age findings correlate with national counterterrorism arrest statistics for 2008–2015.

Analysis of offenders’ residence shows the primacy of London- and Birmingham-based individuals as well as higher than average relative deprivation and Muslim population at neighborhood level.

Location
A map included in the study shows where the individuals profiled in the report lived at the time of their arrest, as indicated on their court record sheet or specified during charging.

All regions of the United Kingdom are represented, ranging from London, where offenders were living in 117 cases comprising 43 percent of Islamism-related offenses (IROs), to Northern Ireland, home to one offender (0.4 percent) — suspected al-Qaeda-linked operative Abbas Boutrab who was living in County Antrim at the time of his arrest.

After London, the second most common region in the United Kingdom was the West Midlands, with 18 percent of IROs. Of these, 80 percent (14 percent overall) were living in Birmingham. The third most common region was North West England with 10 percent of IROs. Together, these three regions – London, West Midlands, and North West England — contain the place of residence of almost three-quarters (72 percent) of cases. No other region contains 10 percent of residences.